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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The lighthouse of the Héaux-de-Bréhat was built between 1835 and 1840 by the engineer Léonce Reynaud on the reefs of the Swords of Tréguier, off Pleubian. This bold project, commissioned by the Lighthouse Commission in 1831, aimed to install a first-rate lighthouse on a submerged rock at each tide. The work, carried out under extreme conditions, was marked by delays, strikes and significant budgetary overruns. The workers lived in precarious conditions on a masonry platform exposed to the elements.

The construction of the lighthouse necessitated technical innovations, such as the assembly of granite stones by 'baronde keels' and the use of ground-cut blocks and then transported to the site. The lighthouse, originally 47 metres high, was inaugurated on 1 February 1840. In 1944, the Germans dynamized the top of the tower, destroying 15 meters of structure. After the war, the lighthouse was rebuilt and raised from one floor to 57 metres and was automated in 1982.

The lighthouse of the Héaux-de-Bréhat is a major testimony of the history of the French maritime signs. Ranked a historic monument in 2011, it is the second oldest high seas lighthouse in France, after the plateau du Four. Its architecture, combining a massive base and a slender column, reflects the evolution of lighthouse construction techniques in the 19th century. The remains of the workers' houses, still visible, recall the difficult conditions of its construction.

Léonce Reynaud, the architect of the lighthouse, marked the history of maritime signs in France. This lighthouse, a symbol of his work, was designed to withstand the extreme conditions of the Channel, with violent currents and dreadful bursts. After its partial destruction in 1944, it was reconstructed identically, thus preserving its architectural and technical heritage.

The lighthouse experienced several technical changes, from a white fixed light in 1840 to a white flashing light in 1903, and then to an automated system in 1982. The materials used, such as the blued granite of Morvil Island and the honeycombs of Bréhat Island, contributed to its solidity. Today, there remains an essential point of reference for navigation in Saint-Brieuc Bay.

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